[InOne]

Originally Posted by Zee

Yeah, but if you legalise prostitution, it cuts out a huge part of the problem. If prostitutes and police co-operate, it eradicates a lot of the problems that come with prostitution. If a prostitute is beaten to within an inch of her life, she's not going to go and report it to the police because she was committing a crime when she became the victim of a crime, in the same way that a burglar wouldn't report being beaten up by a home owner while he was in the middle of a burglary, because he would be at fault. But if you make prostitution legal, prostitutes can talk to the police more freely.

As I side in a previous post, having something as simple as a log book or database of prostitutes with pictures, known aliases and personal information goes a long way in helping to monitor things. Prostitutes wouldn't go missing if someone knew where they were meant to be, their home addresses, their family situations, their usual haunts - if said database had photos of the prostitutes, it would help police to spot unfamiliar faces. Police laziness is another matter entirely, I still think legalising it and regulating it makes far more sense than ignoring a problem that is not going away and is only getting worse by ignoring it.

They do report it in some cases. The law on prostitution is weird here. It's something like that it's legal for a man and woman to exchange sex for money but the curb crawling and hanging around on corners is against the law. I'm not totally familiar with it as I read up on it a while ago now. But it's more the curb crawlers who are getting arrested rather than prostitutes. The police do try to protect them but often they're unwilling, scared or too far gone on the drugs for help.

I do agree about that thing in Estonia though, it seems a good idea. But no doubt you'd still get the women who don't register. I guess the cold fact is you can help some but not them all.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

The problem with prostitution is that its not as simple as a transaction between two parties carried out in safe business like way. It often involves violence, control, drugs, human trafficking, blackmail, coercement , underage sex etc...

So it would be difficult to legalise as these elements could not be legalised and as such you would still have illegal prostitution which would then have to be cheaper to compete with the legalised equivalent and as such would make conditions for these women even worse.

Precisely - recent court cases have highlighted the dingy world of enslavement and abuse of young women and girls.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Nedusa

The problem with prostitution is that its not as simple as a transaction between two parties carried out in safe business like way. It often involves violence, control, drugs, human trafficking, blackmail, coercement , underage sex etc...

So it would be difficult to legalise as these elements could not be legalised and as such you would still have illegal prostitution which would then have to be cheaper to compete with the legalised equivalent and as such would make conditions for these women even worse.

It's a difficult topic to just try and bring in one law and hey presto everything's fixed.I imagine the Govt would love the new revenue stream it would generate but any party that crossed this line( similar to legalising Drugs) may find itself facing a voter backlash at the next general election.

But it think it would cut down on a lot of the problems you mentioned because the Johns would prefer to go to a professional establishment, where he knows the girls are clean, and also knows that he's safe. A lot of Johns are also victims, they approach a prostitute, goes back to a hotel room, then when he gets there her boyfriend is there and beats him up and robs him, then he feels he can't go to the police cause he'd be admitting to a crime himself. So i think most Johns would prefer to use the legal prostitutes, even if it is more expensive.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

But it think it would cut down on a lot of the problems you mentioned because the Johns would prefer to go to a professional establishment, where he knows the girls are clean, and also knows that he's safe.

IME, the opposite is frequently true - after all, the "john" is not after a bag of peas .....

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Omah

IME, the opposite is frequently true - after all, the "john" is not after a bag of peas .....

You mean the risk and danger is part of what turns them on? Maybe that's true, I hadn't thought about it like that.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by lostalex

You mean the risk and danger is part of what turns them on? Maybe that's true, I hadn't thought about it like that.

Even Hugh Grant .....

[waterhog]

Originally Posted by Juan_Sheet

Yes, the same with drugs within reason. People do it regardless so it can't be any worse if it does become legal.

i like your way of thinking.